VIROLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF RABIES IN BATS FROM AN URBAN AREA IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

The outbreaks of rabies in humans transmitted by Desmodus rotundus in 2004 and 2005, in the northeast of the Brazilian State of Para, eastern Amazon basin, made this a priority area for studies on this zoonosis. Given this, the present study provides data on this phenomenon in an urban context, in order to assess the possible circulation of the classic rabies virus (RABV) among bat species in Capanema, a town in the Amazon basin. Bats were collected, in 2011, with mist nets during the wet and dry seasons. Samples of brain tissue and blood were collected for virological and serological survey, respectively. None of the 153 brain tissue samples analyzed tested positive for RABV infection, but 50.34% (95% CI: 45.67-55.01%) of the serum samples analyzed were seropositive. Artibeus planirostris was the most common species, with a high percentage of seropositive individuals (52.46%, 95% CI: 52.31 52.60%). Statistically, equal proportions of seropositive results were obtained in the rainy and dry seasons (c² = 0.057, d.f. = 1, p = 0.88). Significantly higher proportions of males (55.96%, 95% CI: 48.96-62.96%) and adults (52.37%, 95% CI: 47.35-57.39%) were seropositive. While none of the brain tissue samples tested positive for infection, the high proportion of seropositive specimens indicates that RABV may be widespread in this urban area.     

Effects of estradiol alone and combined with norethisterone acetate on pulse-wave velocity in hypertensive postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Arterial hypertension and postmenopausal reduction of estrogen levels may be involved in modifications of the stiffness of large arteries. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and indirectly the arterial stiffness in hypertensive postmenopausal women submitted to hormone therapy with estradiol alone or combined with norethisterone acetate. SUBJECTS: Forty-five hypertensive postmenopausal women were double-blindly, randomly assigned to three arms of treatment: placebo (group I); estradiol 2 mg/day (group II); or estradiol 2 mg/day and norethisterone acetate 1 mg/day (group III). METHODS: Arterial stiffness was assessed from PWV measurements of the common carotid and femoral arteries (CF-PWV) and the common carotid and radial arteries (CR-PWV) obtained using the automatic Complior(R) device, taken at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: After the 12-week treatment, values of CF-PWV and CR-PWV were not significantly different (p = 0.910 and p = 0.736, respectively) among the groups. Systolic blood pressure showed a positive correlation with CF-PWV in groups II and III (p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PWV and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal hypertensive women did not reduce over a 12-week treatment with estradiol alone compared with the same period of treatment with estradiol combined with norethisterone acetate.     

Conjugation pathways in liver disease.

1. The activities of microsomal glucuronyltransferase and thiomethyltransferase, and those of cytosolic sulphotransferase, acetyltransferase, glutathione transferase and thiomethyltransferase were measured in abnormal (cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis) and normal livers. 2. Glucuronyltransferase and sulphotransferase were investigated with 2-naphthol and ethinyloestradiol as substrates. p-Aminobenzoic acid, benzo(a)pyrene-4,5-epoxide and 2-mercaptoethanol were the substrates of acetyltransferase, glutathione transferase and thiomethyltransferase, respectively. 3. Enzyme activities are expressed as nmol min-1 incubation mg-1 protein and the averages (+/- s.d.) are given. With 2-naphthol as substrate, the glucuronyltransferase activity was 6.55 +/- 4.10 (abnormal liver, n = 33) and 7.81 +/- 4.02 (normal liver, n = 26) (NS); whereas sulphotransferase activity was 0.28 +/- 0.18 (abnormal liver, n = 35) and 0.68 +/- 0.43 (normal liver, n = 26) (P less than 0.01). Glucuronyltransferase activity towards ethinyloestradiol was 102.5 +/- 56.9 (abnormal liver, n = 30) and 107 +/- 59.9 (normal liver, n = 26) (NS), whereas sulphotransferase activity was 57.2 +/- 36.0 (abnormal liver, n = 35) and 122 +/- 67.6 (normal liver, n = 28) (P less than 0.01). Acetyltransferase activity was 0.84 +/- 0.83 (abnormal liver, n = 35) and 3.84 +/- 1.65 (normal liver, n = 26) (P less than 0.01). Glutathione transferase activity was 0.83 +/- 0.68 (abnormal liver, n = 35) and 2.90 +/- 1.59 (normal liver, n = 25) (P less than 0.01) and thiomethyltransferase activity was 1.00 +/- 0.69 (abnormal liver, n = 34) and 3.99 +/- 1.49 (normal liver, n = 25) (P less than 0.01). 4. Liver disease lowers the activities towards the substrates studied of sulphotransferase, acetyltransferase, glutathionetransferase and thiomethyltransferase but not that of glucuronyltransferase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of estrogens on bone marrow adipogenesis and Sirt1 in aging C57BL/6J mice

Age-related bone loss has been associated with high levels of marrow adipogenesis. Estrogens (E₂) are known to regulate the differentiation of marrow precursors into osteoblasts, however, their role in bone marrow adipogenesis remain unknown. E₂ regulate adipocyte differentiation in subcutaneous and visceral fat through interaction with other nuclear receptors. This interaction has not been assessed in bone marrow adipocytes in vivo. In this study, we compared two groups of animals, young and old, after either oophorectomy (OVX) or oophorectomy plus E₂ (OVX + E₂) replacement. We found that absence of E₂ was associated with higher levels of PPARγ and lower levels of Sirt1 most significantly in the old group. In addition, old mice responded better to E₂ replacement in terms of reducing adipogenesis and PPARγ expression as well as increasing levels of Sirt1 expression. Our findings represent a new understanding of the role of E₂ in age-related bone loss, which could be mediated through the regulation of Sirt1 expression within the bone marrow. In addition, this evidence suggests that old individuals may show a better response to E₂ administration in terms of reverting the high levels of marrow fat seen in age-related bone loss.     

Microanatomy and surgical approaches to the infratemporal fossa: an anaglyphic three-dimensional stereoscopic printing study.

Objective: The infratemporal fossa (ITF) is a continuation of the temporal fossa between the internal surface of the zygoma and the external surface of the temporal bone and greater wing of the sphenoid bone that is sitting deep to the ramus of the mandible. The principal structure to understanding its relationships is the lateral pterygoid muscle. Other important structures are the medial pterygoid muscle, the maxillary artery, the pterygoid venous plexus, the otic ganglion, the chorda tympani nerve and the mandibular nerve. In this study, we describe the microsurgical anatomy of the ITF, as viewed by step-by-step anatomical dissection and also through the perspective of three lateral approaches and one anterior surgical approach. Methods: Eight cadaver specimens were dissected. In one side of all specimens, an anatomical dissection was done in which a wide preauricular incision from the neck on the anterior border of the sternoclidomastoid muscle at the level of the cricoid cartilage to the superior temporal line was made. The flap was displaced anteriorly and the structures of the neck were dissected followed by a zygomatic osteotomy and dissection of the ITF structures. On the other side were the surgical approaches to the ITF. The combined infratemporal and posterior fossa approach was done in two specimens, the subtemporal preauricular infratemporal fossa approach in two, the zygomatic approach in two, and the lateral transantral maxillotomy in two. The anatomical dissections were documented on the three-dimensional (3D) anaglyphic method to produce stereoscopic prints. Results: The lateral pterygoid muscle is one of the principal structures to enable understanding of the relationships into the ITF. The tendon of the temporal muscle inserts in the coronoid process at the ITF. The maxillary artery is the terminal branch of the external carotid artery that originates at the neck of the mandible and runs into the parotid gland. In our dissections the maxillary artery was lateral to the buccal, lingual, and inferior alveolar nerves. We found the second part of the maxillary artery superficial to the lateral pterygoid muscle in all specimens The anterior and posterior branches of the deep temporal artery supply the temporal muscle. In two cases we found a middle deep temporal artery. The different approaches that we used provided different views of the same anatomical landmarks and this provides not only safer surgery but also the best choice to approach the ITF according with the pathology extension. Conclusions: The ITF is a complex region on the skull base that is affected by benign and malignant tumors. The study through different routes is helpful to disclose the relationship among the anatomical structures. Although the authors have shown four approaches, there are a variety of approaches and even a combination of these can be used. This type of anatomical knowledge is essential to choosing the best approach to treat lesions in this area.